US President Donald Trump is requesting $152 million (£115 million) to reopen the infamous Alcatraz prison as part of his proposed budget for the 2027 fiscal year. The plan aims to rebuild the site, located near San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge and known as “The Rock,” into a state-of-the-art secure prison facility, with the funds covering the first year of costs. This move is part of a broader $1.7 billion (£1.3 billion) investment into the Bureau of Prisons, which Trump allegedly directed to “reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt ALCATRAZ” to house “America’s most ruthless and violent offenders.”

The proposal has been met with skepticism by politicians in California, who question the final cost and practical challenges of operating Alcatraz as an active prison. The maximum-security facility was closed in 1963 and is currently run by the National Park Service as a tourist attraction, generating $60 million (£45 million) in annual revenue. Critics, including former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have labeled the budget request “absurd on its face and should be rejected outright,” arguing that rebuilding Alcatraz into a modern prison is “a stupid notion that would be nothing more than a waste of taxpayer dollars and an insult to the intelligence of the American people.”

Additional concerns highlight the lack of running water and sewage on the island, requiring all supplies to be brought in by boat, and the potential loss of an iconic landmark. By the time of its closure, Alcatraz was three times more expensive to operate than any other federal prison, according to the US Bureau of Prisons. The request will need approval from the US Congress, where it is likely to face political hurdles and debate. Alcatraz has a storied history as a naval fort, military prison, and federal penitentiary, housing notorious inmates like Al Capone and George “Machine Gun” Kelly, and has been featured in films such as “Escape from Alcatraz” and “The Rock.”

Source: www.bbc.com